Changeable sign



N0. 752,324. PAT-BNTED FEB. 16, 1904.

J. L. BLAGKMBR.

K0 MODEL.

\A/IT 555 55- 72 1/0 T'DR' @g w/m A W 6 i Patented February 16, 1904.

UNITED STATES 'PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES L. BLACKMER, OF MEDFORD, MASSACHUSETTS.

OHANGEABLE SIGN.

' SPEQ'JIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 752,324, dated February 16, 1904.

Application filed March 9, 1903. Serial No. 146,802. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern;

Be it known that I, Terms L. BLACKMER, of Medford, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable Signs, of which the following is aspeciflcation.

This invention relates to changeable signs or bulletins such as are employed in oflice buildings to afford a directory of the tenants of the building. 7

It has for its object to provide a sign of this character the component parts or name-strips of which are capable of being readily and conveniently removed and inserted and which are of light, strong, and durable construction.

The invention consists in the improvements which I will now proceed to describe and claim.

Of the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure 1 represents a front elevation showing the name-strip-supporting portion of my improved sign and a series of name-strips assembled thereon, the glazed front being omitted. Fig. 2.represents a section on line 2 2 of Fig. 1. Fig.3 represents a perspective view of one of the namestrips. Fig. 4 represents an enlarged end view of one of the name-strips. Fig. 5 represents a section on line 5 5 of Fig. 1, showing in addition to the frame or body and the namestrips a glazed front frame detachably secured to the body and covering the name-strips. Fig. 6 represents a view similar to Fig. 2, showing one of the vertical edges hinged and provided with a flange.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

In the drawings, a represents the body portion of my improved changeable sign, and 5 5 represent the series of name-strips assembled in said body. When the sign is in use, the body is placed vertically on a wall or other suitable support, the name-strips extending horizontally and parallel with each other. The name-strips are assembled loosely in a recess in the front side of the body, said recess having a bottom or back 6 below the lower horicentral field 10, bearing a name or other information, and edge flanges 12 12, project- 'ing backwardly from the field 10. Said flanges,

vertical edges 8 and 9, and the outer edges of the end strips of the series bear against the horizontal edges 7 7. The vertical edge 8 has a flat inner side bearing against the ends only of the name-strips, while the vertical edge 9 has a flange 13, which projects inwardly over the adjacent end portions of the name strips. The vertical edges 8 and 9 prevent endwise displacement of the namestrips so long as said strips are in their predetermined positions, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 2. The flange 13, projecting over the outer faces of the strips, partially prevents outward displacement of the strips or movement of the same away from the body athat is to say, the strips, While free to swing outwardly from the body a at one end, are prevented from swinging outwardly at the other end by the flange 13. The connection thus aflorded between the strips and the body a is found to be suflicient to prevent accidental displace-' ment of the strips, while the body a is deprived of the glazed outer cover a, hereinafter described, so that when the said cover 0 is removed for the purpose of permitting access to the name-strips the strips will remain in place until forcibly removed; To facilitate the removal of the strips as circumstances may requirefor instance, when a ted lines in Fig. 2. The strip thus displaced may now be conveniently removed by grasping the outwardlyprojecting end and moving the strip endwise. The displacing pressure may be conveniently exerted by pressing a finger against one end of the strip, as indicated in Fig. 1.

The glazed cover 0, above mentioned, is here shown as composed of a marginal frame 16 and a pane 17 of glass inserted in said frame, the whole being formed to cover the front of the body a and the name-strips applied thereto. The frame 0 may be detachably secured to the body a by any desired means. The means here shown comprise a strip 18, fixed to the lower edge of the body a and projecting outwardly therefrom and provided with an upwardly-projecting flange 19, the lower member of the frame 16 bearing on said strip and being held against the body a by the flange 19. The upper end of the body a is provided with a pivoted hook 20, adapted to engage a pin or stud 21, projecting upwardly from the upper member of the frame 16. 22 represents a dowel fixed to the upper member of the frame 16 and entering a socket formed for its reception in the body a.

It will be seen that the name-strips a, made of sheet metal stiflened, as described, are very light and durable and are sufficiently bulky to enable them to be conveniently grasped and handled, the strips being more convenient to handle by reason of the thickness afforded by the flanges 12 than simple flat strips of sheet metal without said flanges. Any desired number of bodies a of the construction above described may be grouped together to form a single sign or bulletin, and, if desired, the series or group of. bodies a may be covered by a single detachable frame 0.

In Fig. 6 I show the body a provided with a vertical edge 22, hinged at 23 to the body, the flange 24: of said edge projecting over the ends of the name-strips b opposite the ends which are confined by the fixed flange 18. When the edge 22 is in the position shown by full lines, its flange prevents the corresponding ends of the name-strips from being swung outwardly; but when the edge 22 is displaced, as shown by dotted lines, the name-strips may be swung outwardly in the manner above described. The namestrips b may be lettered on their inner sides, if desired, and assembled with their flanges projecting outwardly. In this case a printed strip of paper or other material having letters may be conveniently secured to the strip between the flanges, the latter protecting the edges of the paper strip.

I do not limit myself, however, to the particular form of name-strips here shown, as the strips, particularly if made considerably thicker than here shown, may be used with out the flanges.

I claim 1. A changeable sign comprising a body portion having a recess in its front side, and a series of parallel namestrips assembled loosely in said recess and held against endwise displacement by the vertical edges of the recess, said edges bearing against the ends of the strips, the back of the recess'having a depression formed and arranged to permit one end of either strip to be pressed inwardly and its opposite end outwardly, to facilitate the removal of the strips.

2. A changeable sign comprising a body portion having a recess in its front side, one of the vertical" edges. of the recess having a flange projecting over the adjacent portion of the back of therecess, and a series of parallel name-strips assembled loosely in said recess and held against endwise displacement by said vertical edges and partially held against outward displacement by said flange which projects over the adjacent ends of the strips, the back of the recess having a depression adjacent to the said flanged edge, said depression being formed and arranged to permit the flange-confined end of either strip to be pressed inwardly and its opposite end outwardly, to facilitate the removal of the strips.

3. In a changeable sign, the combination of a frame or body having a flat outer face 6, and a series of elongated name-strips assembled in said frame, the latter having suitable each strip being composed of a single piece of sheet metal bent longitudinally along two parallel lines to form a central field, and edge flanges projecting backwardly from the field and stiffening the same, said flanges bearing against the face 6. I

4. A changeable sign comprising a body portion having a recess in its front side, one ofthe vertical edges of the recess being fixed and having a flange projecting over the adjacent portion of the back of the recess, while the opposite vertical edge is hinged to the body portion and has acorresponding flange, and a series of parallel name-strips assembled loosely in said recess and held against endwise displacement by said vertical edges and also held against outward displacement by said flanges, the back of the recess having a depression adjacent to the fixed vertical edge, said depression being formed and arranged to permit one end of each strip to be forced inwardly and the opposite end outwardly when the hinged end is displaced.

In testimony whereof I have aflixed my signature in presence of two witnesses. JAMES L. BLACKMER.

Witnesses:

C. F. BROWN, E. BATCHELDER.

means for detachably securing the strips, 

